Tag: Fuse

Hong Kong – To mark its 160th anniversary, HSBC has partnered with Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Hong Kong and its creative arm Fuse to unveil a bespoke Rube Goldberg Machine installation at the iconic HSBC Main Building.

For the campaign, OMG Hong Kong enlisted local kinetic mechanism artist Joseph Chan to realise the concept, resulting in an interactive installation that traces HSBC’s 160-year legacy through a sequence of mechanical movements and visual storytelling.

The experience begins with a ball set in motion past the desk of founder Thomas Sutherland and the bank’s iconic bronze lions, Stephen and Stitt—named after senior executives of the era.

From there, the machine transitions to key visual milestones, including the creation of HSBC’s hexagonal logo by designer Henry Steiner and the symbolic lighting of the main building. It then moves through the bank’s early involvement in shipping services, representing its foundational role in trade and communication. This phase is followed by a timeline of financial instruments—from historical banknotes displayed on a rotating ring track to chequebooks and the evolution of credit cards.

Vintage HSBC commercials play on a retro television set before shifting to a screen that signals the arrival of the mobile banking app—marking the bank’s entry into the digital age.

The installation culminates in a segment featuring PayMeow, the mascot of HSBC’s PayMe app, highlighting the bank’s digital transformation. The journey ends with a piano tribute to the composer of the HSBC theme song, closing the loop on the bank’s long-standing narrative of innovation and heritage.

Chilai Howard, creative director of Fuse at OMG Hong Kong, shared, “Our vision is to seamlessly integrate art into brand experiences. In this project, we draw inspiration from a Rube Goldberg machine, using it as a dynamic timeline to narrate HSBC’s rich history. This interactive installation invites audiences to explore its depths, revealing hidden details and fostering discovery. By engaging the senses and sparking curiosity, we transform observers into active participants in this immersive journey.”

“We are honoured to collaborate with HSBC in celebrating their remarkable history. We believe in the power of creativity to tell compelling stories, and these groundbreaking installations showcase HSBC’s past in a way that adds even more meaning to their present journey,” added Natalie Yu, content & communication director at OMG Hong Kong.

The installation positions itself as more than a promotional effort, aiming to offer a culturally engaging experience that merges elements of art, history, and technology. Designed to educate and entertain, it has also become a visually compelling attraction for visitors.

Supporting the installation is a 30-second video released on 4 March, offering a glimpse into the Rube Goldberg sequence and encouraging audiences to explore HSBC’s historical milestones remotely. A longer-form version documenting the full experience was released on 8 April.

In addition to the Rube Goldberg Machine, Fuse collaborated with HSBC on two other installations. One is an immersive time tunnel that walks visitors through key moments and developments in the bank’s history. The other, a large-scale birthday cake display, serves as a visual marker of the bank’s 160th anniversary.

“We are pleased to unveil this Rube Goldberg Machine Installation to kickstart our year-long 160th anniversary celebration. This innovative installation is designed to transform archival elements into modern, interactive and dynamic exhibits that connect us with diverse customer segments. We are delighted to see Hongkongers visiting and capturing moments with the installation—exactly as we envisioned, enhancing their connection to our brand experience,” said Cheuk Shum, head of marketing, wealth and personal banking, Hong Kong at HSBC.

Japan – Philips Japan has partnered with esports team SCARZ, supported by FUSE, Omnicom Media Group’s sports division. The partnership makes the Philips S9000 rotary shaver the official grooming product for SCARZ’s e-motorsports division, uniting precision grooming with high-performance gaming.

Over six months, FUSE will help Philips and SCARZ create exclusive content, including a documentary, fan contests, and masterclass videos, breaking away from traditional shaver marketing in Japan.

The Philips S9000 rotary shaver, with its advanced rotary technology, mirrors the precision and agility of SCARZ’s e-motorsports athletes, highlighting a perfect synergy between grooming innovation and competitive gaming.

Maria Cecilia Grandi, personal health marketing director at Philips JAPAC, said, “Philips Shavers, with their high quality and innovative rotary performance, have gained more attention from the young audience in Japan, eager to find the best tool that is both effective and gentle on their skin. The SCARZ team is the perfect partner to bring our rotary performance to life and highlight the fun in a great shaving experience.”

Natsuko Nozawa, personal health digital and creative lead at Philips Japan, also shared, “With the partnership with SCARZ and FUSE, Philips Japan celebrates car enthusiasts’ passion about racing and mastering the rotations/turns and the deep emotions that love for cars and for self-care through an amazing shaving experience can create.” 

“Through FUSE’s profound understanding of creating brand love and bringing an innovative approach to communication in media, Philips can diversify its creative expression in the Japan market through this unconventional and passionate partnership,” Nozawa added. 

Philips’ six-figure sponsorship brings together grooming and gaming, two fields driven by precision and performance, under the theme “mastering rotation leads to victory.”

Commenting on the partnership, David Lister, head of content at FUSE APAC, said, “Philips Japan and our wonderful client, Natsuko Nozawa, saw the value in e-Sports over several options we had worked through because fundamentally, e-Sports is a content creation and amplification machine. 

“E-Sports teams exist 100% in created content—in games and on social platforms. In that context, there is a lot that SCARZ can do in their content-first environment to tell the Philips rotary shaving story for us through personalities, racing, and performance. It has rotary at its heart and the ability to be easily scaled through their platforms,” Lister added. 

India – Global sports and entertainment agency Fuse, a division of Omnicom Media Group (OMG), has officially launched its new office in Mumbai, India, with industry veteran Jigar Rambhia appointed to lead the expansion.

Fuse’s launch in India is a strategic move by OMG to capitalise on the country’s rapidly growing sports marketing potential, offering a comprehensive range of services to support brands with end-to-end partnership solutions.

With the new office opening, Fuse has also secured its first clients, Shriram Finance and Uni League Cricket, and will focus on helping brands with strategic planning and the activation of impactful sports partnerships.

Kartik Sharma, Group CEO of Omnicom Media Group India, said, “Sport and culture are increasingly seen to be significant growth drivers for brands, and so we are excited to bring Fuse’s expertise into the market—it further underpins our commitment to create transformational experiences for our clients.”

Meanwhile, the new Fuse office will be led by Rambhia, who previously served as chief operating officer at Sporjo, a sports industry consultancy, where he played a key role in driving business growth. He also brings 16 years of experience from Wavemaker and has worked with agencies such as TME (Rediffusion Y&R) and Madison Communications.

“The momentum in sports in India is at an exciting juncture, and we’re fully equipped to capitalise on this to drive effective partnerships for brands. Sport has increasingly become a vital part of India’s cultural fabric, and with Fuse, we are strategically positioned to help brands harness the power of this medium to drive deeper connections with audiences across the market,” Rambhia shared. 

Also commenting on the launch, Louise Johnson, Global CEO at Fuse, said, “Fuse’s expansion and launch in India marks yet another critical milestone for us, underscoring our commitment to driving growth for brands through the power of sports and entertainment. With Fuse’s specialist sports marketing expertise combined with Omnicom Media Group’s data and technology offering, we are exceptionally positioned to capitalise on the sports market in India.”

“Through our extensive network and under the leadership of Jigar, we can offer brands the chance to create memorable experiences for their audiences and integrate themselves into the heart of India’s sporting culture,” Johnson added. 

Fuse boasts a team of sports and entertainment experts operating in key global markets. Recently, the agency expanded into Spain under the leadership of Juli Ferre and into Brazil with Luiz Fiorese at the helm. Its current international clients include PepsiCo, Nissan, and Philips.

Manila, Philippines – As part of realme Philippines’ new strategy, the consumer electronics company has formally announced its partnership with FUSE, the PR agency under Omnicom Media Group – Philippines, to be its new PR agency of record. This partnership aims to further strengthen the brand’s top position in the local market. 

The adjustment to the PR agency will be supporting realme and narzo as two independent brands moving forward. With this, another agency will be reaching out to media partners for all narzo Philippines concerns. 

“We ask for everyone’s full cooperation with the changes so that we may have a smooth transition for all parties involved. For any clarifications and concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the concerned agencies,” said realme Philippines, in a formal statement.

Singapore – Global advertising and marketing company Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has announced the expansion of Fuse, its sport and entertainment practice, across Asia Pacific.

Headquartered in Singapore, the Fuse team will be tasked with delivering transformative marketing solutions for clients in the region across sport, e-sports, and music.

Fuse in APAC will build on the established Fuse network in the UK and across EMEA, where award-winning work has been delivered for international brands such as PepsiCo, Nissan, HSBC, Google, and Vodafone. This enables clients in both regions to benefit from the scale and specialist local expertise of a globally integrated practice.

In APAC, Fuse will be built on a new model that leverages the commercial, digital and creative capabilities of OMG’s network to help clients modernize their sponsorship strategies through better strategic guidance, smarter digital activation, cutting-edge analysis, and delivering faster and more attributable return on investment.

The service will be led by Jonathan Drakes, who played a pivotal role in growing Fuse’s international business out of the UK as its strategy director. Drakes will be based in Singapore and responsible for developing the business across the region, with a particular emphasis on maximizing opportunities in Asia. Drakes reports to Tony Harradine, CEO of Omnicom Media Group in APAC, and to Fuse’s CEO Louise Johnson.

Drakes starts the venture with founding client, beer brand Tuborg, in a move that builds on Fuse’s five-year relationship with the brand, during which time Fuse helped create and grow ‘Tuborg Open,’ the global music platform which has seen it collaborate with international artists.

Harradine said Fuse’s launch in APAC underscores OMG’s confidence in the power of sport and entertainment platforms to deliver meaningful results for clients in a dynamic marketing environment and in a uniquely challenging time.

Johnson commented, “We’re delighted to be building on the success of the Fuse brand and expanding into the Asia-Pacific region. The global sport and entertainment rights and media market is evolving at a phenomenal rate, driven by expanding fan bases and new digital media platforms. This presents fantastic opportunity across APAC and EMEA for agencies that can quickly adapt, at scale.”

In October, OMG has similarly introduced a new practice Transact in the region, its service for brands specializing in e-commerce.